Keepers of the Flame
by ztarose23
Summary: The history of Godric and Eric, starting all the way at the beginning. Starting at T, will turn to M as the story continues.
1. Chapter 1

In all my two thousand years, the stench of the city of Rome was still enough to jolt me to my core. Summers were the worst, even during the night. The stench would crawl into your nostrils and settle there, smelling like shit and piss and fish guts.

I ran through the streets, a blur of movement to the human eye, faster than even a fly. I was almost late for an engagement that I had to attend to and I loathed being late.

I arrived at the edge of town, stopping at the marble gates of the Villa Thanta. I rolled my eyes as I passed through, irritated by Lucius's extravagance and recklessness. He was once a pleb who managed to rise through the ranks of society by buying up properties in the slums, kicking the tenants out and expanding that area into a popular market for the _equites_ _._ A procurer of vice, he catered to both humans and vampire in creating a market for fantasy. He had been turned fifty years ago and was beginning to get sloppy about where he found the human bodies needed to make his clients happy. This would be the death of him, I had no doubt. I loathed the fool, but duty dictated that I go to his party tonight to discuss the loans he owed to the Tribunal. I expected he would pay back his share, but not without a show first.

I strolled up to the door, opened for me by silent slaves dressed in white cotton shifts. Their faces expressionless, they bowed to me as I walked through into the lavishly decorated atrium. The room was decorated entirely in gold and ivory. Ivory tables next to gold couches with ivory trim. Golden cups, ivory bowls. Silent and still against the walls were slaves covered in a gold flecked paint, looking almost like statues. Others painted in white moved through the crowd, naked, holding out drinks and food for the guests.

"Ah, Lady Drusilla!"

I turned to face my host behind me, a smirk etched onto his pudgy face.

"Lucuis," I purred. "Charmed, as always."

"As always, I am stunned by your grace and beauty, lady." His smirk turned into a sneer. He was not a man who knew how to smile. "I trust the others in the Tribunal are well?"

"Of course," I replied, giving no other explanation to his question. He stared at me for a moment, waiting, but soon shook himself.

"Well, you must make your way into the triclinium, I have a _delectable_ spread available."

Nodding my head in thanks, I made my way unhurried down the hall. If I had to be here to collect our payment, I might as well get some enjoyment for the night.

As I was about to turn the corner, I heard weeping down the hall.

Normally this would not faze me a bit. I had seen and heard plenty of tears but something about this drew me in. These were not tears of fear or even of desperation. These were bitter tears, the rarest of them all. With utter silence, I moved to the door of the other room, peeking in to see what was causing such agony.

To my surprise, I saw a young man of sixteen or seventeen keeling on the floor, blood red tears streaming down his face. He wore only half of a shift, his bare torso available to the naked eye. He had tattoos across his chest and around his biceps, the designs of which suggested he was from Gaul, though his other features were softer and more Roman, all the way down to his hair cut. A golden band was fitted around his neck, the sign of Lucius's slaves.

His master stood in front of him, a disgusted sneer on his puffy lips.

"Please, dominus," the boy whimpered. "I am starving. Please let me feed."

"You've not earned the right, dear boy," replied Lucius, a cruel smile coming to his features. "Gaius Pontus was rather unimpressed with your performance. Now why would that be? He paid a handsome sum to enjoy your company."

"Please, dominus. I did everything he demanded of me." Bloody tears dripped to the floor. "It has been fifteen days since I've fed."

"And it'll be fifteen more if you can't keep your clients happy, boy." A hand shot out, faster than a human eye could see, connecting with the boy's face, sending him flying back. "Now stop that sniveling," he said cheerily, walking out the other entrance. "You work tonight."

Quick as a shadow, I slipped away, trying to understand why witnessing such a thing bothered me so. This boy was nothing, a slave. But he was a vampire. We should be slaves to no one.

Later in the night, as the dawn approached, I was summoned to Lucius's office.

"I trust you have enjoyed yourself this evening," he said with an oily smile. "You certainly seemed to savor that Nubian beauty."

"I did," I assented. "Lovely party, but we both know I'm here for your payment. You're three days late."

His smile became icy but it did not fall. "Of course, Lady. One moment."

He stood up and shuffled quickly over the shelves that lined the wall of his office, grabbing a chest and bringing it back to his desk. Before opening it, he glanced up at me out of habit, trying to gauge if I was paying attention or not.

I crooked an eyebrow, daring him to say something. He took the hint and continued to open the chest. Inside was a smaller chest with a large lock. His hand moved quickly, and a human would never have noticed that he wore the key around his neck, but he seemed to keep forgetting I was not a human.

He slid a thick jangling pouch towards me. "Here. All twenty thousand sesterces."

With a sly smile, I leaned forward and plucked it off the desk. "The Tribunal thanks you for your services to the community. Continue this and you'll rise even higher."

For the first time, a real smile came to his face. It looked odd there.

"Thank you lady Drusilla, that is a high compliment coming from such an esteemed lady like yourself."

Keeping my own smile, I did not move to rise. "I do have one other thing to discuss with you."

"Yes, my lady?"

"That boy you had out in the triblinum, the one with the tattoos. He is quite exquisite."

He pretended to think for a moment. "Ah yes, him. I've had him since he was a child. Bought him from a slaver who got him during Caesar's conquest."

"How did he get those tattoos if he was only a boy?" I asked, trying to seem as interested as possible.

"A few of the Gaulic slaves from the fields did that on his sixteenth name day, marking him a man." His face turned dark. "Did it as an act of defiance, he did. As retribution I turned him and set him loose on the slaves who did it. He still manages to turn a rather nice profit."

"I'm sure he does," I said easily. "He is quite lovely, even with the markings. Those cheek bones could cut marble."

A snake like smile appeared. "Are you interested, my lady?"

I paused for effect. "Well, I am going to the coast for the summer. I've always hated the stench of the city in heat. I suppose it would be nice to have a companion."

"Anything for you, Lady Drusilla. I'm sure you have a price in mind?" My eyes snapped back to his, cold and cutting, making him flinch involuntarily. "Although I am always willing to give my lady a gift."

I chuckled after a moment, easing the tension. He laughed weakly as well. "Of course I'll pay you for your trouble, dear Lucius. I will be in the country for the next three months, so how does sixty thousand sesterces a month sound?"

His beady eyes lit up as his jaw hit the floor. Quickly recovering, he stood up excitedly. "My lady, you flatter me! I've much better stock for such a price—"

"I think he will be perfect." I replied tartly. "I will send my steward before the night is over with your first payment, but I would like to take him with me now as I will be leaving tomorrow at sunset."

He bowed deeply as I stood up and grabbed the bag. We exited the room and entered the triclinium where the slaves were entertaining the few guests still there. Lucius pointed at the boy. "Come here," he boomed, making him walk to us quickly. The boy stood in front of us, emotionless. Turning to me, he rubbed his hands together. "I will go consult my steward to get a tablet written up. Examine him and decide that you are certain you want him. I've plenty of others if you need to see."

With a curt nod, I dismissed him and looked back to the boy.

"What is your name, child?"

"Godric, _domina_."

"Godric, you will be accompanying me on a summer trip, do you understand?"

"Yes, _domina_."

I said nothing else, instead moving on to say my goodbyes to the other guests. Appearances were everything after all. As I took my leave, Godric was waiting for me in the atrium with his master and maker looking as if he was going to his death.

"Lady Drusilla, I wanted to see you out personally," said Lucius. "Such a high paying customer deserves the best!"

I looked Godric over once more. His skin was almost grey, his cheeks sunken in from lack of blood. The tattoos telling the story of his people were faded across his skin, withering away with him. I wondered if he even knew what they meant.

"Thank you for your services and discretion, Lucius. You are greatly appreciated."

I walked off without hearing his response, trusting that Godric would know to follow me.

When we arrived back at my own villa or the other side of the city, a hint of light had returned to the young man's eyes. Most would not have noticed, but seeing it was all I needed. I did love a personal project.

"So you've not eaten in days, I see."

"No, _domina_." He replied quietly.

I called for two of my own personal slaves, twins named Artemis and Apollo, beauties from Greece.

"You may feed from one of these slaves but," I held up a finger. "You may not drain them." He did not move, clearly waiting for his hopes of food to be dashed away. "Do not make me tell you again, Godric."

With a growl, he unleashed his fangs and grabbed Artemis, jerking her to him and sinking his teeth into her neck. She cried out, unused to such a brutal assault. He fed on her quickly and I knew soon that he had no idea how to control himself.

I was behind him in a flash, grabbing his neck to pull him off of her.

"I told you not to drain her, did I not?"

He was panting, blood trickling down his chin. "I'm sorry, domina. I do not know how to stop."

"Your maker has not taught you how to properly feed?"

"I am ignored by my master unless he is beating me or fucking me," he replied without emotion.

I paused, pursing my lips in thought. Walking over to a lounge, I sat back to study the Gaul. "Did your master tell you who I am?"

He had ceased his panting. "You're Drusilla Prima. You've been in Rome since Rome was built."

"Did he also tell you that I am one of the oldest things within the city walls?"

"No…he hadn't."

I smiled, the first real smile all evening. "I am two thousand six hundred and fourteen years old—give or take a year or two." I said. "I've been here far longer than your master and I would wager that I will be here long after he is gone. " I paused, looking Godric in the eye. "It is my hope you will be here long after him as well."

There was no emotion on his face, but I saw hatred burn in his eyes.

"Do you know what is going to happen over the course of these next three months?" I stood and walked over to him. Looking up into his face, I saw the years of pain etched into his skin. "I am going to teach you all that I know. I will teach you how to harness your power, how to hunt and kill. I'll teach you how to read and how to learn languages quickly. But most importantly," I touched his cheek. "I will teach you how to live! Our kind are not meant to be slaves."

I looked at the golden collar around his neck that bore Lucius's sigil. It had been welded around his neck. Reaching up, I snapped the collar like it was nothing. Godric was breathing heavily now, looking like he wasn't sure whether to run or throw me to the floor and take me. Holding up his broken collar, I grabbed his chin to look him deep in the eyes.

"You are no longer a slave, Godric, but your maker still holds power over you. I want to make you strong enough so that is no longer the case."

"Why?" he choked. "Why would you want to help a slave?"

"You remind me of someone I loved once. He too began as a slave. I myself was the daughter of temple whore." I paused. "Plus I loathe your master and have been looking for a way to kill him for half a century now. This seemed like the perfect opportunity."

"Why not just kill him yourself?" he asked angrily. "You have the power and the authority."

"I do. However, you don't get to where I am without being cautious. Even if it is a lowly vampire, many of our kind do not take kindly to the cold blooded killing of our own." I rang the bell for my maid to bring me a cup of blood. "Your first lesson is that there is only survival and death. Take a drink from that blood."

He did as he was told, grimacing, as he tasted it. "It's cold."

"Yes. What else?"

"It's not human." He turned the taste over in his mouth. "Stag?"

I laughed. "You wish it were stag's blood. This is the blood of a rat. Horrible tasting, but it'll save your life in a pinch." I dumped the rest on the floor. "Something that you must learn for your survival is discipline. You cannot always drain a human and you will not always want to. You are starving, this I understand, but you must learn to exercise self control."

I looked out my window, seeing the sky begin to lighten a bit. "The dawn is approaching and we've a long night of travel tomorrow." I paused with a thought. "Though I suppose you could use a good run, after you've had a solid meal that is. Who knows, perhaps I'll even teach you how to fly."


	2. Chapter 2

The next months passed by as swiftly as they always do. Though they went quick, I watched Godric flourish under my tutelage, learning all things necessary to survive as a vampire. He was not soft, a dislike of humans ingrained in him from his years of suffering. He enjoyed games of cat and mouse, taking pleasure in the last moments of life. He also enjoyed bringing people right to the brink and then sparing them, sending them off with their life and a never-ending fear of the dark.

My villa in the country had no servants. It was just the two of us in the sprawling building on the top of a hill that overlooked a small fishing town. The bay stretched on for miles and it was a beautiful sight to behold.

One night, a few hours before dawn, we lay side by side. Glowing from our recent meal, we laid there quietly, impossibly still. Godric broke the silence first.

"What happens to me when my master is dead?" he whispered.

"You will have to go off on your own, my dear."

He looked at me. "Why couldn't I stay with you?"

"The Roman Tribunal would call for your death. Killing your maker is the ultimate sin for our kind, it is similar to the human laws against killing your mother and father, the ultimate taboo."

He sat up and looked down into my face. "But you're a member of the tribunal. You could argue for me."

I gave a small smile. "No, my darling. Not even I could keep you completely safe. This is why I'm teaching you now. We will so go our separate ways. You will be _free._ I have a friend who will give you passage into Hispania and from there you will decide where you wish to go."

He pulled away and looked up at the ceiling. "So you are setting me up to kill him and then turning me into a fugitive."

Silence. "I suppose that you will be, for a time. But even as a fugitive you will be free from his tyranny." I moved over him, looking him in the eye. "I know you still feel his rage through your link. I know that you still fear going back to him. I know that if given the choice of the true death or going back to being his slave, you would take the true death!"

"I will be hunted down and killed anyway!" he shouted, sitting up.

"Somehow I don't believe you will." I leaned back, my dark hair tumbling over my shoulders and down my back. "You are a survivor, Godric! Those who have known the horrors that you have would grow weaker by the day but you endured. Even when you were starving and bloodied, I saw your will to live. I think that you will survive us all, my love. You could be great, but first your maker must go and you need to be the one to do it!"

He turned his eyes away from me, looking down at the sheets. "I do not wish to leave you," he whispered. "You are the only person ever to show me kindness."

"There will be plenty of others who show you kindness, love," I replied, folding my arms around him and pulling him close. "There will also be many who try to break or kill you. You are young still, not even old enough to have experienced a human lifetime. It will not be the end, that I can promise you."

We said nothing more as we lay there tangled up, listening to the sounds of the country just outside our window.

Soon enough, the day came to liberate Godric once and for all. Before we departed from my villa, we stood on the balcony, drinking in the feel of the coast.

"I may not be your maker," I murmured, "but you are blood of my blood, Godric Drusus. One day, you will shine in your own right, a terrifying force of nature."

"I owe it all to you, _domina_. You have given me the chance to have a true life and I shall live it fully in your honor."

Touching his cheek gently, I felt tears in my eyes for the first time in a century. "Live fully for _your_ honor, Godric."

We traveled back to Rome a day earlier than we were supposed to. Before we left, I had to fasten the golden collar back around Godric's neck.

"This is the last time you shall ever have to wear this," I whispered in his ear, feeling his trembling body below my hands. "It is time."

I stood waiting in Lucius's atrium, a column in black with my hair piled on top of my head. Godric was behind me, looking every inch a defeated slave. When he came to us, the surprise of our early return was evident on Lucius's face.

"Lady Drusilla!" he exclaimed, waving his servants out of the room. "You are looking lovely. The sea air did you well, I see?"

"Yes, among other things," I replied slyly. "You certainly have found yourself a superb progeny, Lucius. He's quite perfect."

His face became cold. "He's usually more trouble than he's worth," he responded sourly. "You're sure he was no trouble?"

"Well, he fought a bit in the beginning but he soon learned that I was a force to be reckoned with."

"I apologize, lady." He grabbed Godric by the hair and dragged him to his side. "I suppose there is still more work to be done on him. He must learn his place, you understand."

"I do know my place, Lucius," Godric breathed. His maker looked down at him in shock.

Before he could say the "you" in "how dare you", Godric grabbed his head in both hands and in one movement twisted and pulled his head from his shoulders.

Lucius's head sailed through the air, surprise still plain on his face before it exploded into bloody mush.

I turned sharply to Godric, adrenaline pumping through my body. "You know what to do now, my dear. Go quickly before anyone else sees!"

He pulled me to him, crushing his lips to mine in a desperate goodbye. When we came apart, his face was streaked with bloody tears. "Thank you." he whispered on my lips.

And then he was gone.


End file.
